Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) COO Michael Hartshorn Sells 15,813 Shares

Ross Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:ROST) COO Michael Hartshorn sold 15,813 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $214.91, for a total transaction of $3,398,371.83. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer owned 116,028 shares in the company, valued at $24,935,577.48. This trade represents a 11.99% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Ross Stores Price Performance

Shares of ROST stock opened at $211.69 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $200.54 and a two-hundred day moving average of $178.51. The firm has a market cap of $68.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.03, a P/E/G ratio of 2.92 and a beta of 0.97. Ross Stores, Inc. has a 1-year low of $124.07 and a 1-year high of $217.51. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16, a current ratio of 1.58 and a quick ratio of 1.04.

Ross Stores (NASDAQ:ROST) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The apparel retailer reported $2.00 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.90 by $0.10. Ross Stores had a net margin of 9.43% and a return on equity of 36.70%. The business had revenue of $6.64 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.42 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.65 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Ross Stores, Inc. will post 6.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Ross Stores Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.445 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.78 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.8%. This is a boost from Ross Stores’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. Ross Stores’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 26.93%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in ROST. Norges Bank bought a new position in Ross Stores in the 4th quarter worth approximately $868,360,000. Holocene Advisors LP bought a new stake in Ross Stores during the 3rd quarter valued at $351,763,000. Marshall Wace LLP boosted its position in Ross Stores by 1,908.8% during the 3rd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 1,816,763 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $276,857,000 after acquiring an additional 1,726,324 shares during the period. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in Ross Stores by 20.9% during the 2nd quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 9,582,401 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $1,222,523,000 after acquiring an additional 1,657,008 shares during the period. Finally, Viking Global Investors LP grew its stake in shares of Ross Stores by 56.5% in the fourth quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,167,479 shares of the apparel retailer’s stock worth $570,590,000 after purchasing an additional 1,143,611 shares in the last quarter. 86.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

ROST has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price target on Ross Stores from $214.00 to $244.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Jefferies Financial Group reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $205.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a research note on Monday, December 1st. UBS Group set a $208.00 target price on shares of Ross Stores in a report on Thursday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $205.00 to $235.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Guggenheim lifted their price target on shares of Ross Stores from $199.00 to $226.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Sixteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $208.29.

More Ross Stores News

Here are the key news stories impacting Ross Stores this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 strength: Ross posted broad-based category strength with record sales and strong Q4 gains, underscoring healthy demand and margin leverage potential—key support for forward earnings. Ross Stores Shows Broad-Based Category Strength: Can Momentum Hold?
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades: Erste Group raised FY2027 and FY2028 EPS forecasts sharply (to ~$7.36 and ~$8.14, respectively), well above current consensus — this lifts forward earnings expectations and supports valuation expansion. MarketBeat ROST
• Positive Sentiment: Brokerage backing: Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $240 price target, signaling continued sell-side confidence and potential upside from current levels. Telsey Reaffirms Outperform
• Positive Sentiment: Longer-term growth view: Analysts and commentary (e.g., Seeking Alpha) argue Ross’ earnings should continue growing at a healthy clip given its off-price positioning and margin profile — a structural bullish argument for investors focused on multi-year returns. Ross Stores: Earnings Should Continue To Grow At A Healthy Clip
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst sentiment coverage: A Zacks piece highlights Wall Street bulls are optimistic and that analyst ratings can move the stock — useful context but not a specific rating change driving action. Wall Street Bulls Look Optimistic About Ross Stores (ROST): Should You Buy?
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro/market commentary: Broader consumer-spending commentary (e.g., Jim Cramer coverage) is referenced — supportive of retail but not a direct company-specific catalyst. Jim Cramer’s 5 Stock Calls and the Truth About Strong Consumer Spending
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Reports show top Ross executives executed a sizable stock sale on March 26, which can spook investors and prompt short-term selling or profit-taking despite positive fundamentals. Top Ross Stores Executives Quietly Cash In on Major Stock Sale

Ross Stores Company Profile

Ross Stores, Inc (NASDAQ: ROST) is an American off‑price retailer headquartered in Dublin, California, that operates the Ross Dress for Less and dd’s DISCOUNTS store formats. The company sells a broad assortment of apparel, footwear, home fashions, accessories and other soft goods, positioning itself as a value-oriented destination for brand‑name and fashion merchandise at reduced prices.

Ross’s business model centers on opportunistic buying of excess inventory, closeouts, cancelled orders and overstocks from manufacturers, department stores and other suppliers.